Q&A for How to Boil Water Using a Kettle

If using a stovetop kettle, you will know when the water reaches boiling if you hear whistling coming out of the spout. If using an electric kettle, you will know when the water reaches boiling when it shuts off.

If you overfill the kettle, then there will not be enough room for the steam to escape. If you underfill the kettle, then it will boil dry, potentially creating a fire hazard or permanently damaging the kettle. For this reason, many electric kettles come with an automatic shutoff to prevent this from happening.

Electric kettles have an automatic shutoff that activates when the water reaches boiling. This is present to reduce the risk of fire. Even if the kettle does boil dry, it will still shut off to avoid causing a fire.

No. Teapots and mugs can melt or break if you put it on the stove. Other times, like on induction, nothing will happen. Your best bet is to use a dedicated kettle.